Knitted article and method of knitting same



Sept. 2, 1941. .1; M. ALLEN KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME Fil ed March 2 1940 3 SheetsS he et 1 I rn/enton Jo/m Millie p 1941- J. M. ALLEN 2,254,409

' KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF KNITTING .SAME I Filed March 2, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheei 2 rwehzor. Jb/m N. All: n.

Sept. 2, 1941. J. M. ALLEN KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME Filed March 2, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Irn/en (or. JbhnHA/Ieh Patented Sept. 2, 1941 KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME John M. Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to N. H

Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia,

Application March 2,1940, Serial No. 321,890

14 Claims.

This invention relates to knitted articles, particularly hosiery, in which extremely distinctive patterns are knitted and the principal object is to produce such patterns with various designs of parallelogram figures spaced by intervening contrasting coloured borders knitted with smoothly aligned continuity, the finished fabric being free from objectionable long unknitted lengths of yarn on the inner surface.

A further and important object is to devise a simple method of knitting such patterns and intervening borders, particularly on circular knitting machines, whereby a smooth, uniformly surfaced article is produced.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel manner of fabrication whereby triline X-X of Figure 5.

angular and parallelogram shaped figures are knitted and borders are formed therearound by knitting along the edges of the pro-knitted angular shaped portions, the knitting of the borders at intersecting points preferably having a lesser number of stitches in one or more of the middle wales than the total number of courses in the intersecting borders, the needles carrying the yarn of the middle wales being alternately withheld from knitting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a piece of hosiery knitted with an arrangement of intersecting diamond patterns with intervening intersecting borders.

Figure 2 is'a very much enlarged detail view illustrating the arrangement of stitches at the intersection .of a border having two rows of stitches. Y

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the arrangement of stitches at the intersecting point of borders with four rows of stitches.

Figure 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of knitting the courses of the triangular and parallelogram pattern areas and the intervening borders and illustrating the manner of reducing the number oi stitches in the middle wales of the intersections.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of fabric knitted in accordance with this invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a stocking showing an arrangement of a diamond pattern and intervening .zig-zag parallelogram-shaped patterns having contrasting border knitting outlining the various pattern shapes.

Figure '7 is. an enlarged diagrammatic view similar to Figure 4 illustrating the manner of knitting the courses of the diamond and rec- Figure 10 is an enlarged diagrammatic ,view similar to Figure 3 showing an alternative arrangement of retaining stitches in the middle wales of the intersecting borders.

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to Figures 2 and 3 illustrating the manner of knitting at the cross-over of three intersecting borders as found in the making of patterns illustrated in Figures 6and-7.

In the application of this invention to the knitting of an article as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4

and 5, the top or commencement portion of the article is knitted in the usual manner on the full complement of needles, which are represented by the letter N in Figures 8 and 9, to theline A'-A'.

At this point in the operation substantially half of the needles are raised out of action and knitting is continued on the needles remaining inaction from the point A to the point A, as illustrated particularly in Figures 4, 5 and 8, picking up'one or more of the end needles at each end of the successive courses until only one or possibly two needles are in operation at the point B when a substantially triangular or half diamond pattern will have been knitted in the area represented by the numeral l.

The substantially half complement of needles utilized in knitting the area I are held out of action and the other substantially half complement are then brought into operation and the area represented by the numeral 2 is then knitting in a similar manner by picking up needles out of action at the endof each course to the point B' when only one or possibly two needles remain in action.

These two triangular knitted areas may be knitted in the same yarn as the cufi portion or a yarn change may be made at the commencement of the knitting of these areas and 2 as may be desired.

The knitting is then resumed, preferably with the full complement of needles in operation, and a complete course, represented by the line 2' in Figure 4 and'by the stit s shown inpart b the numeral 2' in Figure is knitted along the edge 0f the article as then completed, that is the cult portion 3 and the two triangular portions I and 2 preferably with a difl'erent colored yarn.

A secondcourse is then knitted .to this first completed course 2'. and as this course 4 reaches the point'A between the lateral extremities of the triangular areas i and 2, one or two needles are lifted out of action retaining the stitch, as is illustrated by the numeral 5 in Figure 4, and the yarn is carried across the width of either one or two wales without knitting, as is clearly illustrated by the cross-over line 6 shown in Figure 3.

Knitting then continues to the point B where two needles or one remain out of action and retain the previously knitted stitch or stitches, as indicated by the numeral I in Figure 4. Knitting of the course 4 is then continued to the point 8 in Figure 4 where onor two needles as desired are lifted out of action and knitting is again continued to the point 9 illustrated in Figure 4, when again one or two needles are lifted out of action. It will thus be seen that at each angular point at the apex and the bottom of the triangular areas I and 2 there is a space of either one or two needles where knitting does not occur.

The third course I0 is then knitted on the full complement of needles 7 and after this is completed a fourth course Ii is carried through in the same manner as the course 4, that is, either one or two needles are held out of action the article is then completed by knitting in the usual manner.

i It must be understood that the border between the parallelogram-shaped pattern may be formed with any desirable number of rows and Figure 2 shows an illustration of a two-course border.

It will be seen that the first course l8 of the I border is then knitted with the complete complement of needles around the edge of the triangular pattern I and in the knitting of the second course I9 two central stitches are retained as indicated by the crossing-over line 20.

Upon the completion of the alternating or offset parallelogram pattern knitted on to the border represented by the rows of knitting l8 and IS, a border row 2| is knitted with a full stitches in the alternate rows of the knitting at points aligned with the gaps which have been formed in the knitting of the second course.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the operation as being carried out with two needles held out of action in each alternate course. 4 and II respectively, but as has been previously stated, it may be desirable to only retain one stitch in each of these courses and when this is done it will be preferable to hold one stitch in each alternating needle of the two in the central pair in each course, as is illustrated in the enlarged view,

Figure 10. a

when the four courses of the border have been completed as described knitting is then continued to knit the diamond shaped area I! oriii. This is accomplished by, starting off with one or more needles in action and picking down at theend of each course one or more needles, so that the successive courses are increased in length until.

half the area is completed and then needles are picked up at the end of each course to narrow down the area until only one or two needles remain in action.

The second 'diamond-shaped area is then formed in a like manner and when these are completed a row of knitting I4 is carried out .on the full complement of needles, knitting along the edges of the diamond-shaped areas I! and I3 and knittingto the central wales of the previously knitted border, that is, to the two central of the border yarns is that the cross-over borders remain in alignment and present a uniform or unbroken pattern. Further, by retaining stitches in the manner described the knitting of the pattern remains smooth, otherwise if the full complement of needles were utilized in carrying through the borders at the intersecting points there would be an excess of yarn which would cause unsightly and undesirable bumps in the completed fabric.

In a previous application filed by me under Serial No. 247,805, filed December 27, 1938, I

have illustrated and described a knitted article; i

in which a plurality of parallelogram-shaped figures are arranged to form, a zig-zag pattern which is accomplished by a unique method of loops of the row l0 illustrated in Figures ,3

and 4. V

The successive rows of knitting to complete the second border are carried out in a manner similar to the knitting of the previously knitted the next row l5 retains-one or two stitches of the central wales at theapices of thepattern. The third row It is knitted on the complete com plement of needles and the fourth row I! again holds stitches. r a

This method of knitting is carried to the point where the pattern is tobe discontinued and operating a knitting machine.

In Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings I I illustrate a pattern similar to that shown in the previous application referred to, but I have shown the various parallelogram figures separated by a border. It will be noted that in between the two zig-zag patterns of small parallelograms are arranged diamond-shaped figures and it will be noted that at,the intersection of these borders at the top and bottom apexes of the diamond figures three borders intersect, that is there is the cross or horizontal border and two intersecting diagonal borders.

These borders are knitted in a manner similar to the manner utilized in knitting borders between the diamond-shaped pattern particularly illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

In the application of the invention illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 11 the knitting of the cuff portion 23jis carried out in the usual manner and to one side' of the cuff portion is knitted the triangular area 24 which is accomplished by,

and after being taken to the base the yarn is I held and a difierent coloured yarn is threaded into the needles and a completecourse 25 of coloured yarn is knitted around and to the pre ceding knitted fabric.

A second course 26 is then knitted to the course 25 and at the apex of the triangular area 24 one or perhaps-two stitches are held in this course and stitches are also held at the points 2'! and 28 which mark the angles of other patterns which have not as yet been described.

In the Figures 7 and 11 the borders constitute two courses of knitting but any desirable number of courses may be knitted and the holding of stitches may be carried on as has been previously described in connection with the pattern illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

Referring back to the patterns illustrated in Figures 6,7 and 11, the yarn of which the area 24 has been knitted has, as has been described, been knitted along one of the angular edges of the area and after the border has'been knitted in the yarn may be changed and the parallelogram shaped area 29 is knitted in with courses paralleling the courses of the cuff and the area 24, and as this area is knitted one or more needles are picked into action at one end of each course, while one or more needles are picked out of action at the other end of each course, thereby producing a parallelogram-shaped figure which fits into and follows the diagonal line of one side of the triangular area 24. I

When the area 29 has been completed the yarn is carried down and knitted to the border, which has been previously knitted, to the other sloping side of the area 24, and the parallelogram-shaped area 30 is then knitted by progressively picking down needles at the end of each course and picking up needles out of action at the opposite end.

Two courses of border yarn are then knitted into position, the course 3| being carried continuously along the sloping edges of the areas 30 and 29. Following completion of the first course of the latter border a second course 32 is knitted and one or possibly two stitches'are held opposite to the retained stitch areas 21 and 28.

The knitting of this latter border course is carried through up the diagonal side of the knitted areas 29 and 30 and the yarn is then held.

A yarn change is then made from a yarn from which the-area 30 has been knitted, and a course 33 is knitted along the edge of the border which has been previously knitted on the outer diagonal edge of the area 30. The diamond area 34 is then knitted by picking needles into action at the end of each course and after the maximum width has been knitted, picking needles out of action at the end of each course until the opposite angle of the diamond'figure has been completed. The yarn is then knitted down one side of the diamond and is then held out of action.

A coloured course 35 is then knitted, around the upper edge of the diamond area 34 and across the top end of the parallelogram-shaped areas 30 and 29, being knitted. to the previously knitted border course 3|, and at a point 36 opposite the apex of the triangular area 24 one or more stitches are held. The course is then'continued on until the diamond-shaped area 34 is completely bordered.

A second border course 3] is then knitted to this first time and one or two stitches are held at the upper angle of the diamond-shaped area 34. This second row of border stitches is carried down down the inner side to a point opposite the apex of the area 24. The diagonal area 39 is then knitted at the opposite angle to the area 29 by picking up needles at the end of one course and picking down needles at the other end.

A complete border course 49 is then knitted across the top of the area 38, down the diagonal inner side thereof and up the diagonal inner side of the area 39. After this has been completed a second border course 4| is knitted to the course 40, down the inner side of the area 38 and up the inner side of the area 39 and the yarn is held at both ends.

The yarn 42 from the upper end of the area 39 then knitted down the inside of the border course 4| and the knitting of the diamond-shaped area 43 is carried out, picking needles into action at the end of each course until the maximum width has been attained and then picking needles out of action to complete the diamond shape.

It will be seen, particularly on reference to the 'diagram illustrated in Figures 7 and 11, that there are three complete border courses extending through the X formed by the intersecting borders between the areas 24 and 43. Immediately adjacent to the lowermost of these complete courses, courses in the central wales of the course 26 are held. The course 3| which extends through the centre of the X is complete and stitches are retained in the central wales at the point marked 36 of the course 35.

. The first border course 40 of the next diagonal border is complete across the intersection above the point 36 and the next border course 4| holds stitches.

There are in this illustration two rows of stitches in the border extending either side of the area 24. There are two border stitches extending across between the aforesaid lower border, and there are two border stitches in the next diagonal border arrangement on tral wales in this crossed area, there are only three stitches knitted in the two central wales instead of a complete complement of six, and the result is that, in the actual knitting the diagonally crossed borders remain in alignment and there is no puckering', so that a uniform pattern is produced and the fabric is smooth and free from bumps or irregularities It will be understood from this description and the accompanying illustrations that very'novel machine knitting of hose and similar articles either in the formation of substantially uniformly-shaped patterns, as illustrated particularly in lesser number of stitches in the middle wales than the total number of stitches in the intersecting borders, produces a highly pleasing and practical icle.

in the needle diagrams 8 and 9 as also in the detailed diagrams in Figures 2, 3, 4, 'l and 11, it has been stated that certain courses have adiacent stitches in the centre wales retained, but it has also been stated that one or two stitches may be retained, and the diagram Figure 10 lllustrates an arrangement where, instead or holding two stitches from one course and having the adjacent courses knitted completely across the intersection, one stitch may be held in one course and in the next course one stitch may be held in the adjacent wale to the one in which the stitch has been previously held, and so the stitcheslmay be alternated but with the same final result that there are less stitches in the two middle wales than the total number of stitches in the borders.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A knitted article comprising interfittmg angular shaped figures having intersecting borders knitted therebetween, one or more of the intermediate wales oi the intersecting zones of the borders having a lesser number of stitches than the total number of courses in the intersecting borders.

2. A knitted article comprising a group of angularly-shaped patterns interconnected by borders each comprising a plurality of courses, said borders crossing between adjacent points or the angular patterns, and the courses of said borders having stitches retained in one or more or the wales of the crossover in alternating arrangement, maintaining the borders in alignment.

3. A knitted fabric having a circular or tubular knit portion the knitting of which is extended in one or more portions in triangular form, and one or more complete courses of knitting extended around the edge of the previously knitted fabric to form a border, angularly-knit pattern structures being arranged in interfitting relation with the previously knit portion and knitted to said border, and successive borders and angularly knit portions, completing the article again form a tubular knit member, the intersecting portions of the borders having a lesser number-ol rows of stitches than the aggregate number of rows of stitches in said intersecting borders.

4. A knitted tubular article having a plurality of alternating and interfitting diamond patterns separated by knitted borders which intersect between adjacent angles of the said diamond patterns, said borders having courses knitted with one or more retained stitches opposite the apices of aligned diamond patterns.

5. A knitted tubular article having a plurality of alternating and interfitting diamond patterns separated by borders, one or more courses oi! each border being formed of a complete complement of stitches and one or more of said border courses intervening or adjacent to a completecourse of stitches having one or more stitches retained between the adjacent apices of said diamond patterns.

6. A knitted article comprising interfitting an-,-'

gular shaped figures having intersecting borders knitted therebetween, the borders at their intersecting points having one or more courses between the adjacent apices of said angular shaped figures formed of a complete complement of stitches, and one or more courses having stitches retained in one or more of the middle wales between said apices.

7. A knitted tubular article having diamond patterns internested with pairs of parallelogram patterns, diagonally arranged borders intersecting between adjacent apices of said diamond patterns, and transverse borders extending between adjacent parallel sides of said pairs of parallelogram patterns and intersecting the crossed diagonal borders, the intermediate wales in the intersecting zone of the borders having a lesser number of stitches than the aggregate number of rows of stitches in the borders.

8. A knitted article comprising interfitting angular and rhomboid shaped figures which are not directly connected, being separated by courses of a. different yarn having intersecting zones.

9. A method of making a knitted article com prising knitting interfitting angular shaped figures produced by reciprocatory knitting, said figures being completely bordered by courses produced by rotary knitting.

10. A knitted article comprising interfitting angular shaped figures, each of which is formed of a separate yarn knitted in horizontal reciprocatory courses, said figures being separated by courses of another yarn knitted in complete circular courses between said angular figures.

11. A knitted article comprising bands of courses which enclose angular shaped figures, said bands forming borders therearound, said figures and borders being formed of different yarns and said bands of courses intersecting in zones in which stitches have been withheld.

12. A knitted article comprising interfitting angular shaped figures having'wales substantially parallel with the longitudinal centre of said article and intersecting border courses separating said figures having wales arranged in angular relation to each other and to the wales of said figures.

13. A method of knitting a tubular article having a plurality of interfitting parallelogramshaped figures separated by borders, consisting in first knitting a tubular structure, then knitting an angular figure to the tubular structure, then knitting a border course with a complete complement of stitches, then knitting other border courses to said complete course, then knitting further parallelogram-shaped figures to said border, then knitting further border courses to enclose the added figures forming one or more of said latter border courses with a complete complement of stitches,

14. A method of knitting as claimed in claim 13 in which the figure first formed is a triangular portion of a diamond and the yarn is'held at the apex of the figure and following the knitting of the border courses around the said figure the yarn retained is changed to effect a change of colour knitting and continued along the border to the base of the previously knitted figure and other angular figures are then knitted, then border courses are knitted along the added figures to join with the previous knitted border and enclose the figures, after which other patterns are knitted Ti.

JOHN M. ALLEN. 

